Chimec 6830 and Chimec 6043 were the only two of seven additives tested to pass AGQM’s new no-harm test for biodiesel cold flow improvers (CFIs). The new test procedure, developed by Germany’s AGQM in cooperation with the petroleum and fuel additive industries, is called the No-Harm Test BDFI and consists of two parts. First, minimum requirements such as the additive’s ability to lower the cold filter plugging point, as well as ash content, flash point, total contamination and interaction tests with other CFIs are examined in B100. Additional tests are then performed on a B10 fuel specially developed for the no-harm test. The diesel fuel portion of the fuel blend is already dosed with high concentrations of CFIs and anti-settling agents so the additive to be examined is tested in a worst-case scenario. 

HollyFrontier Corp. plans to convert its Cheyenne refinery in Wyoming to renewable diesel production and construct a pretreatment unit (PTU) at its Artesia refinery in New Mexico, where it previously announced plans to build a renewable diesel unit. In Cheyenne, the company intends to covert a portion of its existing assets to produce 90 MMgy of renewable diesel at a cost of between $125 million and $175 million. HollyFrontier expects the project to be complete in early 2022. The PTU in Artesia, New Mexico, will cost between $175 million and $225 million and is expected to be operational by mid-2022. It will process a majority of material needed for both of HollyFrontier’s renewable diesel plants.

The Iowa Biodiesel Board presented David May, retiring fleet manager for the Iowa Department of Transportation, with a Lifetime Biodiesel Ambassador and Champion award March 4. May stands among the early adopters of biodiesel and has become one of its greatest champions. The department has used blends of 5 to 20 percent biodiesel in thousands of its diesel vehicles, without modification, since 1994. May’s military background helped him understand the connection between energy security and national security. Over the years May grew into a true biodiesel advocate, becoming a Biodiesel Ambassador—a program of the National Biodiesel Board. He mentored other fleets nationwide, served as a spokesman with the media, and represented biodiesel at fleet events.

SCS Global Services has been approved by the California Air Resources Board as a verification body for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. CARB recently added third-party verification requirements to the LCFS to ensure data completeness, accuracy and conformance with the regulation by participants. In addition, verification for LCFS provides confidence and reliability in reported data for stakeholders, market participants and the public. SCS is the only California-based global verification body for the LCFS program with approved lead auditors located in North America, Central America, Brazil and Southeast Asia. SCS auditors have more than 10 years’ experience in conducting assessments in the low carbon fuels sector.

Orion Energy Partners LP, GCM Grosvenor and Voya Investment Management formed a capital partnership worth $365 million with Bakersfield Renewable Fuels, a “special purpose vehicle” wholly owned by Global Clean Energy Holdings Inc. created to acquire and retrofit an existing petroleum refinery in Bakersfield, California, for renewable diesel production. The project will use a variety of feedstocks including GCEH’s proprietary camelina oil. Primary work on the project will be performed by Bakersfield-based EPC contractor ARB Inc., a subsidiary of Primoris Services Corp. GCEH anticipates renewable diesel production to begin in early 2022. Technology provider Haldor Topsoe said the project will be scaled to produce 230 MMgy.

CoverCress Inc., formerly known as Arvegenix Inc., has closed a $5 million follow-on equity investment round to continue its development of a new winter oilseed crop named CoverCress, which enables farmers to grow three crops each two years. This new funding supports CoverCress’ planned commercialization in fall 2021. The investment round was led by Fulcrum Global Capital and Hermann Companies. Other investors include Prelude Ventures, Leaps by Bayer, St. Louis Arch Angels and Prolog Ventures, as well as continued investment from some founders and employees.